U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,467, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a vehicle axle that is formed from a round tube by a forging process to define an end of a rectangular cross section. Forging of the tube end to form the axle is performed during successive steps at which the tube wall is simultaneously thickened as well as shaped so that its outer surface is formed into the generally rectangular cross section. Such forging results in an axle end having a center void. After forging of the axle end, a generally vertical kingpin bore is machined through the axle end in order to provide for mounting of a kingpin used to support a wheel spindle on the axle. This kingpin bore extends through the void region of the forged axle end.